Baka Pygmies Want Civil Status Registry

By Emmanuel Kendemeh, Cameroon Tribune, 18 June
2003

They were speaking during a recent visit by the Minister of Social
Affairs to the pygmy settlement at Mayos, Upper Nyong Division.

Baka pygmies dispersed in settlements deep inside the forest in Upper
Nyong Division of the East Province are gradually understanding the
need for complete social integration. For this to happen, they have
equally come to the full knowledge that their rights to get registered
in the civil register at birth and the subsequent right to nationality
and education are fundamental.

It was with this yearning desire that the spokesperson for Baka
children, Agna Jean Bosco was very vocal during the launching ceremony
of activities marking the celebration of the 13th edition of the Day
of the African Child. Agna, eleven years old and a class six pupil
told the Minister of Social Affairs, Cecile Bomba Nkolo who launched
the activities at Mayos last June 10, that the Bakas want a special
civil status registration centre.

He also requested more schools from government, and expressed the
desire to see the already existing schools equipped with qualified
teachers and didactic material. The needs expressed, came to add to
their other pressing problems of proper health care, housing, roads
and social segregation. Even in the ceremonial grounds the Baka
pygmies underwent discrimination. They had to occupy one part of the
place, and more so Bantou children presented a sketch on the
importance of birth certificates in an event organised to honour
pygmies. It was only after they protested that their school pupils
were allowed to present a song during the event and equally joined the
Minister to take a family picture.

The pygmies need to be encouraged and assisted in their quest for
social integration. This needs tact, according to the Director of Plan
Cameroon, Prem Shukla. Plan Cameroon, a children centred NGO has been
working to alleviate the educational, health and other basic
difficulties of the Baka pygmies for six years. The pygmies, Prem
Shukla said have much to offer us, we owe them respect and
consideration, and have to understand and be open to them. He also
said that the pygmies need to be treated as equals and a positive
image given to their knowledge, talents and potentialities as a way of
effectively supporting them in their integral development
efforts. This approach is vital in order to gradually cajole them from
the life of wanderers in the vast forest in search of honey and game.

Considering the birth certificate, a basic document that paves the way
to other rights, the pygmies are ignorant of its existence and
importance. Even if they succeed in getting birth certificates
established for their children, the problem of conservation comes up
considering the nature of their huts. Their culture does not permit
births of children to be declared easily. This is because when a woman
is pregnant the husband obliges her to go and live with her parents
only to come back some months after giving birth. The National
coordinator of the rights of the child and education in Plan Cameroon,
Ngamo Kameni Bernard said that following a recent survey more than 98
per cent of Baka children do have birth certificates.

When Agna Jean Bosco appealed for a Baka special civil status
registration centre, no one could be left indifferent. The nearest
civil status registration centre to the pygmy settlement is found at
Dimako town. Pygmies do not feel at ease to trek to Dimako and queue
up in front of this centre in quest of birth certificates for their
children. Civil status officials need to go closer to pygmies for
sensitisation, be available and equip the centre with necessary
material.